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David Hart
Photo: aflphotos.com
DOB
3/3/1964
Height
176 cm
Weight
83 kg
Junior club
South Fremantle/Bruce Rock JFC
Arrived
Foundation signing in 1986
Number
Debut
Round 5 1987 vs Hawthorn
(29th Eagles player)
Games
184
Goals
95
Honours
Premiership medal (1994)
All-Australian (1994)\
B&F Top 10
1 (1994)
Best Finish
5th (1994)
Last app.
Round 18 1997 vs Fremantle
Departed
Retired at the end of the 1997 season
Other clubs
West Perth (WAFL) 1983
South Fremantle (WAFL) 1984-1997

“Jewf” Hart is best remembered as a nuggetty back pocket, but in the early years of West Coast’s existence he was a nuggetty rover.

West Coast career[]

Hailing from Bruce Rock, Hart was recruited late into the inaugural West Coast squad after showing his wares at South Fremantle. Jewf had to wait until round 5 to make his debut, but from that point on was a regular in the senior side. He finished the 1987 season with 17 games and 23 goals.

In 1988 he played 20 games, including the club’s first-ever final. His standout performance came early in the season when he picked up 28 touches and 4 goals against Brisbane. He added another 19 games the following season as he started his transformation into a defender.

A popular member of the team, Hart missed much of the early part of the 1990 season but returned mid-year to play 18 games, including the unsuccessful finals series. In 1991 he overcame some late-season injury issues to play in the grand final.

An unfortunate series of injuries in 1992 limited Hart to just 9 games for the year, and although he was able to play in an earlier final against Geelong he missed out on the club’s first premiership. His 1993 was similarly frustrating, playing just 8 games for the year although he was one of the better-performed players in the Eagles’ two finals.

In 1994 Hart finally caught a break, throwing his injury problems aside to play every game for the year and win selection in the back pocket in the All-Australian team. His absence two years earlier, along with good friend David Hynes, was a driving force for his teammates in the grand final against Geelong as he at last obtained a well-deserved premiership medal.

Hart continued to be an important part of the side into his early 30s, achieving life membership in 1995 and being named in the back pocket in West Coast’s Team of the Decade in 1996. After a frustrating 1997, in which he managed just 7 AFL games but played in South Fremantle's WAFL premiership, Hart announced his retirement.

Post-VFL/AFL career[]

In retirement Hart stayed involved with the club as a runner under former teammate John Worsfold, before moving to Queensland to pursue a coaching career.

Stats[]

AFL Gm G B K M H D T WAFL Gm G
1987 17 23 12 203 59 63 266 14 SF 3 8
1988 20 17 20 255 55 62 317 17 0
1989 19 9 22 252 61 86 338 18 1 0
1990 18 14 7 213 44 98 311 25 6 8
1991 21 12 7 243 39 108 351 20 2 0
1992 9 2 2 99 16 28 127 9 6 1
1993 8 1 1 99 21 36 135 8 3 0
1994 25 9 8 298 71 118 416 24 0
1995 19 1 4 207 54 79 286 26 0
1996 21 6 2 220 57 87 307 29 0
1997 7 1 0 30 13 24 54 10 6 3
Tot 184 95 85 2119 490 789 2908 200
Avg 0.5 11.5 2.7 4.3 15.8 1.1

References[]

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/D/David_Hart.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hart_(footballer)

http://www.wafl.com.au/player/david-hart-1

http://waflfootyfacts.net/player/stats.php?PlayerID=2729

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